


North Star

by smileyjunior



Category: The Killing
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Tattoo, i think
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:21:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29390457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smileyjunior/pseuds/smileyjunior
Summary: A continuation of AshaHawke’s fic “Bullet You’re Safe Now”.A few moths after the Pied Piper case, Holder and Linden check in on Bullet.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4





	North Star

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AshaHawke](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshaHawke/gifts).



Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder walked up to Danette Leed’s home. It had been a few months since The Pied Piper killings, and the two detectives had decided to pay a visit to Rachel “Bullet” Olmstead in her new home living with the Leeds. Holder knocked on the closed screen door while Linden stood off behind him. A moment later the door swung open and there stood Bullet, a smile broke out on her face and she pushed on the screen door to step outside.

“‘Sup Lil’ B?” Holder grinned at the sight of the young woman. 

“Bugs!” Without hesitation, Bullet wrapped her arms around him. Sarah watched as she stood off to the side. As Bullet let Holder go she smiled brightly. “The hell are you doin’ here?”

“We just wanted to check up on you is all,” he put his hands into his pockets. “Looks like you’re doin’ a good job of healing up.”

Bullet nodded. “It’s been good, yeah. Kallie’s out with her mom right now, but things have been... they’ve been good.” The smile on her face was genuine. Her gaze drifted over to Linden standing off to the side. “Hey Detective Linden.”

The corner of Sarah’s mouth tugged up. “Hey Bullet. Glad to hear you’re doing alright.”

Holder looked between the two women. “Yeah this ain’t awkward at all.”

Sarah glared at him, but the smile didn’t leave his face. His cellphone rang, and he looked at the caller id and cursed. “Ah I gotta take this it’s my sister. I won’t be long.” He opened the phone and walked around the house to answer it.

Bullet and Sarah stood in silence, Bullet leaned against the door of the house and Sarah had started to itch for a smoke. Feel awkward and far too still Bullet reached up to stretch, the fabric from her sleeves dropped down and Sarah saw the tattoo on her wrist:

Faith.

Sarah couldn’t help herself. “Why get the tattoo?” 

Bullet’s forehead scrunched. “I already told you why, remember? The only ones who’s got faith in me is me.”

Sarah shook her head. “You can have faith in yourself without getting it inked on your skin.”

The young woman bit her lip and looked away from the detective. “Sometimes... you need a reminder.” Bullet stole a glance at Linden. “You wouldn’t understand.”

Sarah’s eyebrows rose and her lips pressed tightly together. “Well, maybe I do.”

Bullet’s eyebrows contracted in surprise and confusion. “What do you mean?”

Linden shook her head. “Look Bullet, you don’t know me. But me, I...” she squinted her eyes as she thought, “I have my own demons.”

“That’s hard to believe,” Bullet said looking doubtful. “You’re so, badass. Ya know?”

Sarah huffed and took out a cigarette before offering the box to Bullet. The young woman shook her head, and Sarah lit her smoke before taking a long draft off of it. “I won’t say how, or what. But I have had my own struggles. Gone down my own dark paths...”

“Sounds like you could use a reminder,” Bullet cut in. At the confusing look on Sarah face the young woman smiled. “What you look at to help you find your way home.”

The memory struck Sarah and she nodded. “The North Star.”

Bullet grinned. “So why not?”

Sarah took another hit off of her smoke. “Why not what?” 

“Get the reminder?” Sarah chuckled as she blew out a stream of smoke. “I’m serious!”

Sarah didn’t say anything at first, she tapped the smoke and some ash dropped to the ground. “What the hell,” she looked up at Bullet, “I’ll do it.”

Holder walked around the corner of the house. “Alright Linden, you ready?”

“Not quite,” she was still looking at Bullet who looked ecstatic. “We’re going to a tattoo shop.”

“Say what?” Holder chuckled thinking that Linden was joking. He glanced over at Bullet who she was still looking at and the smile faded from his face. “Wait, for real?”

Sarah turned to face Holder, an almost smile on her lips. “Yeah, why not.” She dropped her cig on the ground and stomped it out. “Let’s go.”

“Wha— now?!” Holder was at a loss.

“Yeah now,” Sarah jerked her head towards the car, “c’mon Bullet let’s go.”

Bullet kicked off of the wall with a playful grin and followed Sarah to the car. Holder was still standing the same spot, he turned and looked at the two women. “What just happened?”

——

Bullet drew the design as Sarah filled out the paperwork in the grungy lobby of the tattoo shop. Holder watched as Bullet did a flourish and finished the design. “Still feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone of somethin’...”

“I can draw one for you too Bugs,” Bullet smiled looking at her own handiwork.

Holder chuckled and shook his head. “I got enough ink trust me, you just ain’t seen it.”

“He’s telling the truth,” Sarah put down the pen on the clipboard and looked up at the two of them. “I’ve seen them, they’re pretty impressive.”

“Oh are they?” Bullet waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Holder blushed and shook his head. “Yeah whatevs... that’s how I know this place. They look dirty but they’re clean, safe, and legit. Without me you might be gettin’ this done god knows where.”

“You are truly my savior Stephen Holder,” Linden deadpanned. Bullet and Holder laughed. 

Fifteen minutes later Sarah sat in a leather chair on her side, her t-shirt pulled up halfway and the needle vibrating as it touched her skin and drew over the tasteful yet simplistic 8-point design that Bullet had drawn. It didn’t take long as Sarah had requested it be fairly small. “I don’t need it big... just enough that when I look in the mirror, I see the reminder.”

“All done.” The artist put a plastic sheet over the design and left Sarah with Holder and Bullet to admire the work.

“Damn Linden,” Holder grinned looking at the tattoo, “you really did it.”

Bullet laughed, “You just saying that now? What do you think we’ve been doing for fifteen minutes?”

“You know what I mean.” 

“It looks great,” Sarah smiled then lowered her shirt. “Thanks Bullet.” Bullet smiled back.


End file.
